The present invention concerns an assembly for displaying panels, the most common form of which is a picture frame. However the invention is not limited thereto since the assembly may display any panel or panel shaped object including a mirror, three dimensional objects mounted on panels, etc.
A large number of frame assemblies are known and disclosed in prior patents providing ample testimony of intensive efforts by the art over the years to provide efficient, economical, and attractive assemblies for mounting and displaying panel like articles. Much of this effort has been directed towards providing various means to assemble the panels for retention within the frame more expeditiously than was possible by the conventional means of driving a plurality of small nails into the rear side of the display opening of the frame to retain the panels, backing board etc. in place.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,978 shows a frame preferably of molded synthetic plastic material having an inwardly sloping projection along its peripheral walls which retained sufficient flexibility to permit the projection to be deformed sufficiently to receive therein a peripheral edge portion of the backing board. U.S. Pat. No. 1,904,318 shows a somewhat similar concept in which a frame has formed on the rear side thereof elastic flaps beneath which the backing board is inserted to retain it against the rear of the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,312,007 shows a frame having a groove formed in the rear thereof which serves as a pocket for adhesive to secure the backing seat to the rear of the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,060,606 shows a slotted frame of resilient material whose opposed legs are forced apart to receive therein the glass, picture, and backing panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,914 shows a plastic picture frame having clip receiving panels molded on the rear side thereof into which retaining clips may be force-fitted, the clips serving to retain the backing board in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,546,802 uses a force-fit concept in which what is in effect a thick backing board is provided as part of the frame assembly and the decorative frame is sized to be force-fitted over the backing board to retain the panels between the force-fitted frame and the backing board.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,684 shows a frame member having a peripheral groove within which the edges of the panels are wedged.
THE FOREGOING PATENTS ARE TYPICAL OF MANY DIFFERENT PATENTED PRIOR ART SCHEMES.
Some of these prior art schemes have one or more shortcomings. Some require that the frame or portions thereof be sufficiently elastically deformable to receive and hold the backing board. This limits the materials from which the frame can be made with corresponding limitations on the appearance and quality of the frame. Other of the prior art structures necessitate a forcing or wedging of the panels into the frame which may have a tendancy to mar the peripheral edge portions of the panels. Other of the prior art structures are more or less complex thereby increasing their manufacturing cost.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel assembly for displaying panels which is simple, permits a virtually unlimited selection of material from which the frame member may be made and which maintains the panels within the display opening of the assembly without necessity of forcing or otherwise stressing the edges of the panels being displayed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an assembly, one including a frame member which has a display opening therein, the display opening being larger in the rear of the frame member than it is in the front of the frame member to permit placing of panels within the display opening and which includes closure members affixable across the rear of the display opening to maintain the display panels therein.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an assembly for displaying panels which assembly includes a frame member having a display opening therein and closure means affixable transversely across the display opening at the rear of the frame to maintain the display panels therein.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.